Update 8:30 a.m.:A total of five people were sent to the hospital early Monday after a fire leveled a downtown building, according to Shelton Assistant Fire Chief Nick Verdicchio.

Details weren’t available about their conditions, he said, but none of the injuries were life-threatening.

Firefighters rescued a total of 27 people from the fire, he said, including at least two by ladder.

“Everyone is accounted for,” Verdicchio said of the building’s residents.

“We have it under control,” he said of the blaze itself about 8:15 a.m. “It’s still got pockets of fire popping up that we can’t get to with an exterior attack and we’re obviously not going to put anybody inside of that.”

No firefighters were injured, as crews could see the building was going to cave in.

The front of the building fell into a street sign, which hit a fire truck.

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As of 4:30 a.m., firefighters were still dumping water on the smoldering wreckage, which ignited again several times.

Verdicchio said it appeared at least one gas line was still feeding the property, creating a headache for firefighters trying to extinguish the blaze. YankeeGas was on the scene, as was the state fire marshal, who was escorted by Shelton Fire Marshal James Tortora.

A few hydrants were frozen and could not be used, Verdicchio said.

The blaze brought a large response from firefighters throughout the Valley and beyond.

Firefighters will be at the scene for hours.

The amount of smoke from the fire was incredible. At times it obscured the Derby-Shelton bridge, as this video shows:

The fire damaged a building that sat at the corner of Howe Avenue and Viaduct Square, across the street from Downtown Danny O’s.

“Basically we’re drowning this thing, that’s where we are right now,” Verdicchio said.

There was also a water main break on Howe Avenue at the intersection with the Derby-Shelton bridge. People were without water at residences throughout the downtown area.

Roughly 900 United Illuminating customers were without power as of 6 a.m. because of the fire.